ASSAULT – The Florida teacher filmed being beaten senseless by a 270 pound student last year has refused to support a lighter sentence for the teen.
Matanzas High School’s Joan Naydich, 58, made the declaration Friday, as activists continue to fight for lesser sentence for the autistic high schooler, 18-year-old Brendan Depa.
Cause of Fight
The attack happened at Matanzas High School in February, when another teacher confiscated the 6’6″ student’s Nintendo Switch.
How the Assault Unfolded
Seventeen at the time, Depa – upon realizing it was Naydich who tipped of the teacher – was filmed chasing the teacher’s aide down the hall, before shoving her to the floor and punching her to the point of unconsciousness.
The footage quickly upset much of the nation, and is set to be used as evidence this month when Depa stands trial. He will be tried as an adult, with punishments ranging from probation to 30 years of jailtime.
Left With Broken Ribs
A still-traumatized Naydich – who was left with five broken ribs following the attack – explained why she wants the high-schooler to receive the max sentence.
‘He definitely needs to be in jail,’ Naydich told the paper Friday, citing how she’s lost her income, health insurance, and benefits after being inexplicably put on unpaid leave in the wake of the still-viral attack.
‘He needs to be in jail for what he did to me,’ she continued. ‘I’m in my own jail of sorts every single day I wake up.’
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The Victim is Venting
The longtime Flagler County School District staffer – placed on an unpaid leave in August – proceeded to claim that Depa’s supporters, including his adoptive mother, were overstating his limitations.
‘He’s not autistic like everybody believes he is,’ she said, arguing the attack was premeditated and the result of a plot by the hulking teen.
‘They are painting a picture of him that he’s not able to think for himself,’ she contineud, as Depa remains locked up ahead of of his looming January 31 trial.
‘He’s working on his GED in jail and he almost has it,’ she said. ‘His mother has painted a picture of him that he’s incapable of putting socks on.’
What the Boy’s Mother Said
Since the attack, Leanne Depa has fiercely maintained her son’s actions were not his own fault, but the school district’s – since his Individualized Education Plan (IEP) specifically stipulated he shouldn’t have had an electronic device at the time.
That’s because the youngster would likely rage if such an item were taken away – a forecast that unfortunately came to fruition this past February 21
